


Counting Birds Against The Sun

by poisonflowers



Series: Runa Cadash [3]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Logistics are fun, Mild Language, Trespasser DLC, Trespasser Spoilers, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-25
Updated: 2016-08-25
Packaged: 2018-08-10 22:12:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7863100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poisonflowers/pseuds/poisonflowers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"After what Solas had done Cadash saw no option but to disband the Inquisition. Thom had wanted it too, they might finally be free of all this and able to live as normal people. Get that cabin with a dog he had joked about, he could cook the eggs. But first she had to make sure all that power the Inquisition had amassed was redistributed correctly. She wasn't going just abandon everything they had worked so hard for then let the Fereldans and Orlesians fight over the scraps like wild dogs. Someone worse might swoop in to make a power grab during that sort of chaos- the Carta, Tevinter, or worse, Solas and his agents. Swooping was bad."</p><p>After the events of the Exalted Council, Inquisitor Cadash and Josephine Montilyet work to dismantle the Inquisition. At least until Cole interrupts them with unexpected news...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"I want Vivienne to have Suledin Keep."

Josephine's quill stilled and she looked up from the piles of letters, deeds and treaties piled on the table between them. "Are you certain, Inquisitor? It is our largest holding, and Madame Vivienne has taken steps to reform the circles, in open opposition to Divine Victoria's decree-"

Runa Cadash sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose with her remaining hand. It had been two months. Two months since she'd fought the Viddasala, since she'd learned that her friend, Solas, had betrayed her. Two months since he'd stolen her arm- no. She shouldn't think of it like that, the mark had been killing her and Solas had saved her life. Still, it was his fault she'd gotten the mark in the first place. His fault she became Inquisitor, finally found a way out of the Carta, met all these friends and allies. Met Thom.

Now she was stuck in the Winter Palace, undoing it all. After what Solas had done Cadash saw no option but to disband the Inquisition. Thom had wanted it too, they might finally be free of all this and able to live as normal people. Get that cabin with a dog he had joked about, he could cook the eggs. But first she had to make sure all that power the Inquisition had amassed was redistributed correctly. She wasn't going just abandon everything they had worked so hard for then let the Fereldans and Orlesians fight over the scraps like wild dogs. Someone worse might swoop in to make a power grab during that sort of chaos- the Carta, Tevinter, or worse, Solas and his agents. Swooping was bad.

Lands would be distributed according to need. She wanted to make sure that the people she had helped wouldn't be abandoned, and that those she hadn't been able to help yet wouldn't get stepped on. 

"If we're disbanding the Inquisition then we can't hold on to Suledin Keep," Cadash said, shaking the dark thoughts from her head. "And if I don't decide what to do with our holdings then the politicians and the chantry will. The Keep is in Orlais, but in a remote enough part of it so as to keep Vivienne out of trouble. Besides, ice is her element! The cold weather there should make her happy. Okay, so the area is impoverished...and infested with dragons. That just means her and her circle mages will be forced to do some good," Cadash looked up and gave Josephine a weak smile. "Besides, if Most Holy was really bothered about Vivienne's circle, you and I both know she'd have done something about by now."

"Yes," the Ambassador said, nodding as she scribbled more notes. "Something swift and bloody, knowing Leliana. I apologize for questioning you, Inquisitor."

"Always question me, Josie," she said with a weary smile. "And call me Runa! Or at least Cadash?"

"Even though the Inquisition has agreed to disband you still have right to the title." 

The round-faced dwarf woman laughed, "All right, Ambassador Montilyet." 

Josie ducked her chin, smiling demurely. She continued to take notes, seated at the large and elaborately decorated desk across from Cadash. The rooms they'd been assigned at the Winter Palace were all elaborate, the Orlesians had yet to find a surface they couldn't decorate with scrollwork, flowers or chubby winged babies. The rooms were also, notably, designed for humans. Not dwarves. Cadash sat slumped in the gilt chair with embroidered cushions, her short legs swinging andunable to reach the floor. No one had thought to offer her a footstool. 

"The next order of business, Lady Cadash, is what to do about Skyhold."

Cadash sighed again and rubbed her eyes, "there's no way we can keep it?" Skyhold was the closest thing she'd ever had to a real home. The Carta had kept her on the move for much of her life, the three years she had spent in Skyhold were the longest she'd ever stayed in one place. True, it was far too big and there were FAR too many stairs to suit her aching dwarf knees, but she loved the old pile of rocks.

"We cannot keep Skyhold if the Inquisition is to disband," Josephine said. "Even if we did not disband, Leliana thinks it would still be too risky. Solas has intimate knowledge of the fortress. If he is to be our enemy-"

"He is not-" Cadash's voice caught in her throat. She cleared it and began again, "Solas is our friend. I am confident that we can save him, and in doing so save all of us. But you're right about the castle. Give it to Cassandra."

"Inquisitor?" Josephine's puzzled tone was met with a look of exasperation. "Well, you did tell me to question you," the Ambassador said as she nervously tucked a dark curl behind one ear. 

Cadash laughed, "you got me, Josie. We should give Skyhold to Cassandra for when she rebuilds the Seekers. I imagine that with their Templar abilities, the Seekers have the best chance against Solas's magic. On that note, give any holdings in the Hinterlands to Cullen for his clinic efforts, pending King Alistair's approval."

Josie nodded and made more notes, "I am sure his majesty will give it, being a former templar himself." She looked up, smiling in satisfaction. "That takes care of all of our major strongholds. Next we can either move on to our minor holdings, such as logging stands and quarries, or to the transfer and dissolution of our alliances?"

Cadash stood and stretched, her joints cracking. "Can't we do it tomorrow, Josie? Pleeease?" She shot the Ambassador a wide-eyed, pitiful look. 

Josephine giggled, and seemed about to answer in Cadash's favor when they were interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Come in," Cadash called with a laugh. "Please come in and save us from this slow death by paperwork!"

It was Varric, followed closely by his grumpy-looking Seneshal, Bran. Cole trailed along behind them, perhaps unnoticed? Her fellow dwarf, now Viscount of Kirkwall, shot Cadash a bright smile while the tall ghost boy gazed calmly about the room. 

"Comtesse!" Varric cried jovially, "and Ruffles! How goes the de-inquisitioning?"

"That's not her title," snapped the Seneshal, "You haven't followed the proper protocols." 

Varric waived his hand in a dismissive gesture while Cadash smiled fondly. "Varric! I'm so glad you haven't left for Kirkwall yet. We're making good progress, though my knees are killing me. And my back, my ribs- everything hurts! You don't have any dwarven-made chairs you could loan me, do you? Or know of a local merchant who could sell me one?"

Varric scratched his chin, "Bohdan and his boy were supposed to be headed for the Orlesian court after things got bad in Kirkwall. Bran?"

The Seneshal nodded, "I will look into it, Viscount." He gave a small bow and left the room.

A corner of Varric's mouth turned up, "thanks for giving him something to do besides follow me around a disapprove. Though you sure the problem is the oversized furniture and not, er, battle damage?"

Cadash shook her head, "Battle damage I'm used to! It's all this sitting around damage- Maker, I don't think I've ever been so tired in my life!"

"You're less bright now, with your wing clipped. I can see enough to count the birds. One, two," Cole's cool, quiet voice cut in as he stared off into the distance. "You're tired because you carry another heart beneath yours. It's heavy," he paused to look down at the Inquisitor, puzzled. "How did a baby get in there?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cole delivers the news, everyone takes it differently.

"How did a baby get in here?" Cole's words echoed in her head, and Cadash wobbled, unsteady on her feet. She put out an arm to catch herself- unfortunately it was her missing left arm. Still not used to that yet! She stumbled forward a few steps then caught the edge of the desk with her right. 

Josie, oblivious to the Inquisitor's distress, squealed in delight. She then quickly clamped both hands over her mouth, dropping her pen. Varric had begun to laugh, quiet at first, but the noise grew into an excited whoop as he spun Cadash around into a hug. She sort of hung there, still in shock. When Varric released her, she stumbled her way back to the oversized chair and collapsed in it. 

"Hey Kid," Varric called to Cole. "Is it a boy or a girl?"

"Yes," the ghost boy replied. Of course that was all he had to say.

"No, I mean-" 

"It doesn't know yet. It can hear us, but the words have no meaning," Cole explained. Varric shrugged apologetically towards Cadash. 

"Varric, I didn't know you liked children?" Josephine said, her face split in a wide grin beneath those finely tapered fingers.

Varric shrugged, "I can take 'em or leave 'em, but a dwarf baby is always a reason to celebration. We don't..." He paused here, sighed and raked a hand through his strawberry blonde hair. "Most say it's caused by living too near darkspawn and the blight, but even among us surface dwarves, I don't know many other dwarf kids who grew up with siblings." He then paused and muttered under his breath, "lucky bastards." Varric shook his head, "so, should we go give Hero the good news?"

"Don't you dare tell Thom," Cadash snapped and jumped to her feet. 

She thought back over the last few months. During the fight with the Viddasala and her Saarebas she's been hit by magic, demons. What if Solas knew about the baby, could he have sensed something when he removed her mark? And the time they'd spent through the Eluvians and in the fade, what might that do to a child? They had fought a dragon! Oh no, and after it all, she'd drunk herself stupid at a wake for those they'd lost during the battle. If anything she'd done had hurt Thom's child, their child, she might never be able to forgive herself. 

"Not a word to anyone," she said. "He's to hear this from me. And not until I'm damn good and ready to tell him." She started towards the door, hands clutched into shaking fists, "first thing I'm going to do is find a healer. A discrete one!"

Cole stopped her with a light touch on the shoulder. "It's all right, the baby is healthy. Happy. Solas didn't touch it. He doesn't know."

Cadash relaxed visibly and held back tears, "thank you, Cole." And left the room. 

As soon as she was gone Josie shot up from her chair and stared at Varric, a conspiratorial glint in her eye. "Gentlemen, follow me," she said, and strode calmly out the door. Varric grinned at Cole and jerked his head towards the door. They both ran after her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is a great resource, "A Guide to Swearing in Thedas" :)  
> http://ageofdragon.tumblr.com/post/69748103553/a-guide-to-swearing-in-thedas


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An ending and a beginning.

Cadash left the healer's office less than an hour later, smiling softly to herself and feeling better than she had in days. The healer had pronounced her less than two months along, and had expressed surprise that the Inquisitor had even been able to tell she was pregnant. The healer didn't remember Cole. 

The news had brought Cadash back to the days just after her last meeting with Solas. Mourning her lost arm, her lost friends, she'd clung to Thom, asked him to help her forget about everything. He'd obliged, Thom was always very obliging. And now...here they were. 

She had resolved to tell him right away, before there was any chance of Varric, Josie or Cole letting it slip. She made her way out of the Winter Palace and into the gardens. Blackwall was sure to be in his usual spot near the archery targets, practicing with his knives or just whittling. Near enough to the Gilded Horn tavern that he could enjoy the music, but not so close as to draw attention, always worried that some Orlesian might remember him from his other life. He'd already tracked down all of his men and made his apologies, he didn't owe these strangers

Cadash rounded a corner of hedges and nearly ran into Cole. "Oh! Hello," she said, looking up at the pale ghost boy. 

"I told them you'd be angry," he said, wringing his hands. "Please, they wanted to help. One wants romance and candles, firelight flicking like the pages of her favorite book. One sees eyes everywhere, mouths and wicked tongues. We must protect her-"

"Oh, Ancestor's have mercy!" Cadash pushed passed Cole to see Cassandra, Vivienne and Josephine towering over Thom, who was seated on bench, head in his hands. Varric stood to one side, chuckling and taking notes, ever the writer. Cadash wanted to strangle them all.

"...if you wait until after she delivers the news," Josephine was saying, "she will think that it is all for the sake of the baby. That you do not truly wish the marriage."

"The Inquisitor has suffered so much," Cassandra cut in. "Our friend deserves every happiness. If you do anything to make her doubt-"

"What do I have to offer her? Or a child?" Thom's voice was a quiet rumble, it broke her heart. 

"That," Vivienne said wish a sneer, "is something you should have thought of a long time ago. Really my dear, didn't you take any precautions?"

"She was a dwarf and I a Grey Warden," Thom said. "Or at least I pretended to be. In the beginning that was all the precaution we needed. Then the years passed-"

"Yes and now it is much too late," Vivienne scolded. "So you must act! I will not see our darling Inquisitor touched by another scandal that you caused."

Thom flinched, "how can I offer her my name, with all the bloody history that comes with it?"

Cadash cleared her throat, and her friends parted. Cassandra and Josephine at least looking appropriately guilty. Vivienne, to her credit, kept her chin high. 

Thom stood, flustered, "My lady, I-"

"Take my name," Cadash said, "if yours won't do. Though to be fair, it has its own bloody history."

"What?" Poor Thom, he'd been through a lot today. 

"There is a precedent, for a man taking the woman's name," Josephine offered meekly.

"Yes, in morganatic marriages. How appropriate," Vivienne said. Then she turned to Thom, "that means that you're beneath her, dear."

"I know the word!" Thom growled. He took Cadash by the hand and added in a softer tone, "do you mean it, love?"

Cadash turned and looked up at the circle of her friends, "er, can you all give us a moment?"

"Apologies, Inquisitor!" Josephine jumped, "I will...we will continue our work tomorrow."

"Yes, congratulations dear," Vivienne said with slight wave as she glided off. "Or condolences, take your pick. We must have tea later."

Cassandra paused before she left, and rested a hand on Cadash's shoulder. "Being Inquisitor has brought you good things," Cassandra said. "Many good things. But only a few have been by your choice. Take what happiness you can from those, and do not let them go. That is all I meant to say. Advice from a friend, for the days to come."

"Come on, Seeker, let's give the happy couple some space. I'll buy you a drink," Varric said with a jerk of his head in the direction of the little garden tavern. 

"Yes," Cassandra said, surprised. "I would like that."

Cadash waited a moment, until she was sure they had all left, then sighed deeply and buried herself in Thom's arms. "They mean well- Cole told me they meant well. But I'm so angry with them I could just- oh! Aduecan's teeth!" 

Thom chuckled softly, "I think they meant to have me at the altar at knife point." He pulled back a bit and looked down at his lady. "Is it true, love? Am I to be a da?"

"Yes, the healer just confirmed it" she looked up, her face searching for some sign of what he felt behind all that beard. "Are...are you happy?"

"Yes! And scared shitless," he laughed and hugged her close again. "And you, my lady?"

Cadash laughed nervously. "I don't know the first thing about babies," she said. "I suppose we'll find help?"

"Aye," Thom laughed. "Sera and Dagna can babysit. We'll put Dorian on diaper duty and Varric can be in charge of bedtime stories."

They sat on the bench, both doubled over with laughter. "They all have their own lives to get back to," Cadash said. "Though Varric did offer that estate in Kirkwall."

"Kirkwall could be good, might be nice to get back to the Free Marches," Thom said. "Though I admit, I was looking forward to having you to myself for a bit, ideally at a little farm in the country. Suppose that's off the table. For now."

"As soon as we've settled the business of the Inquisition, I'm all yours for the next seven or eight months."

"About that," Thom said, hands in his pockets, eyes downcast. "Did you mean what you said earlier? When you offered me your name?"

"Yes," Cadash nodded solemnly. "Or we could keep on as we are. I know you'll never leave me again, Thom. A ceremony won't change that."

"Aye," Thom said, still fiddling with his pockets. "And yet-" he pulled out a ring, made of smooth and polished wood.

Cadash beamed, "did you make that?"

Thom nodded, "a long time ago. Seems like every time I work up the nerve to try and give it to you a new hole opens up in the sky." He grinned, "do you remember the day we met, my lady?"

"Yes of course, I would have taken a nasty arrow to the face if not for you."

Thom nodded, "I kept that shield, decided it must be my good luck charm. Kept it with me until that giant shattered it on the Storm Coast."

"Not so lucky that day."

They both laughed. "Oh I don't know," Thom said. "We all lived, the giant died, seems pretty lucky to me. So I kept a piece of it with me. I hung onto that chunk of wood through Adamant, into the fade in back, and while fighting three dragons. It was on the long ride back to Skyhold from Orlais, after you freed me from prison, that I first got the idea to fashion it into a ring. That whole trip I was lying in the back of a wagon, tossed there like a sack of flour, thinking that there was no way you would ever forgive me. Nor did I deserved your forgiveness. But maybe..."

"Well are you going to let me try it on or not?" Cadash said quietly. 

Thom reached over and slid the ring onto the ring finger of her right hand, since her left was gone. "Somehow I thought it would be more difficult." Thom said. "That I'd need to complete three impossible tasks to win the heart of the beautiful maiden."

"You forgot a heart can't be won. It must be given," she said, and stretched her hand out in front of her to admire his work. "As for impossible tasks...oh, I've lost count! I think we've both done enough for a lifetime."

Thom chuckled and kissed her cheek. "So," he paused, and grew quiet again. "About names. I'm just getting used to this one, not sure I want to change it again already."

Cadash nodded, "how about if we each keep our own?"

"Can you do that? What about the babe?"

"I am Lady Inquisitor Cadash, Champion of the blessed Andraste herself, and I'll do whatever I bloody well like!" They both laughed at this and Thom wrapped his big arms around the little woman. "The child can have both our names," she said. "After all, if Cassandra can has...five was it? Then this child can certainly have two." She turned her head up to look at him, "any other questions? Doubts?"

"None," Thom said emphatically. 

"Right," she said, struggling to her feet. "How about now, then?"

"Now? Not that I'm complaining, mind-" Thom said, "-but I had a feeling Josie was looking forward to planning a big to-do and inviting all the nobles. Don't you at least want our friends to be there?"

"Consider this punishment to them, for spilling the beans," Cadash said wearily. "And truthfully, I'm tired of being paraded about for other people. Let's do something just for us."

"I did promise Sera," Thom said, blushing slightly, "that if I ever worked up the nerve to ask you, she could be my best man."

Cadash laughed, "all right. And Dagna arrived last week, she's a proper Orzammar dwarf, I can ask her to stand for me. Fetch the girls and meet me back here in an hour?"

#

Two hours later they were married by Mother Giselle in a little corner of the Winter Palace gardens. Neither had bothered to change their clothes. Neither had Sera, actually, though it wouldn't have mattered since all her clothes had mustard on them. But everyone looked beautiful, and everyone cried. 

Another hour after that Cadash decided it was time to forgive her friends, and the remaining members of her inner circle all gathered at the Gilded Horn to toast the happy couple and celebrate well into the night. 

Six months later, arriving early and in middle of a storm on a boat bound for Kirkwall, Liddy Rainier Cadash was born.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How to make a wood ring- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8ccr8sPQ_w


End file.
